New Strategy Center publishes a new study, this time dedicated to critical infrastructure protection in the Black Sea. The study analyzes the complexity of hybrid threats targeting critical maritime infrastructure in the Black Sea, with a focus on tactics used below the threshold of open conflict. From cyber attacks and physical sabotage on offshore platforms and submarine cables to disinformation campaigns, it highlights the systemic vulnerabilities of these infrastructures and their impact on regional and global security.

The study explores the shortcomings of the current international legal framework, the challenges posed by the blocking of perimeters under the pretext of naval exercises, as an example of lawfare actions impacting on freedom of navigation, and other hybrid actions in contested areas of the Black Sea. Concrete solutions are also proposed to strengthen the resilience of maritime infrastructure through regional cooperation, the integration of cyber security measures and the use of emerging technologies such as autonomous maritime vehicles for monitoring and early detection. The study provides an integrated perspective on the intersection between the material and ideational, politically charged dimensions of critical infrastructures, making them even more vulnerable to attacks of various kinds.

The strategic relevance of the Black Sea is also given by its own substantial potential in terms of energy resources, but also by the importance of the energy transportation infrastructure. Connectivity and energy are two important assets of the Black Sea, which mean ample opportunities but also major security risks.

The author of the study is Sergiu Mitrescu, Program Director of New Strategy Center, and the editor is George Scutaru, CEO of New Strategy Center and former Presidential Advisor for National Security.

Protecting Critical Marititm Infrastructure in the Black Sea